Apparatus for producing ozone.



G. G. ARMSTRONG.

APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING OZONE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 15, 1909.

Patented May 9, 1911.

2 SHEETSSHEET l.

v INVEIVTUH CfiarZes 19177725270 '/r By W WITNESSES F7. 6: MW 15 M ATTORNEYS G. G. ARMSTRONG.

APPARATUS FOR PRODUGING OZONE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 15, 1909.

9% 6m Patented May 9,1911. 5 1/7 2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

Primary or Se condcz or Lour Tenswn Jfih Ten 71 WITNESSES I'IVVEN TORU/zarZes aflrmszra By a W A TTUBWEVS CHARLES G. ARMSTRONG, 0F ORANGE,JERSEY.

APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING OZONE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 9, 1911.

Application filed May 15, 1909. Serial No. 496,310.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES G. ARM- STRONG, a citizen of the UnitedStates, and a resident of the cityof Orange, in the county of Essex andState of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Apparatus for Producing Ozone, of which the following is a full,clear, and exact specification, such as will enable others skilled inthe art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in apparatus for producing ozone bythe electrification of the atmosphere.

The principal objects of my invention are, to provide a simple andcompact apparatus, of high efiiciency, and which will be capable ofproducing a pure quality of ozone from the atmosphere, underelectrostatic stress, so as to be available as an airpurifier, and forother purposes. I attain these objects by the mechanism illustrated inthe accompanyingdrawings, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of theapparatus; Fig. 2 is a front vertical section; Fig. 3 is a plan View onthe line 33 of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a cross section on the line 4-4 of Fig.3; Fig. 5 shows a modified form of the conductor shown in Figs. 3 and 1.

Similar reference letters and figures refer to similar parts throughoutthe several views.

1 indicates a case, upon which is mounted an electrical condenser 2.

3 indicates sheets of glass, or other solid dielectrics, preferably of ageneral rectangular form, which may be provided with rounded corners, asshown in Figs. 1 and 3.

.As indicated in Figs. 1 and 2, the glass plates 3 are slightlyseparated from each other. I

4: and 5 are electrodes connected with a transformer 6, which I haveplaced on the inside of the case 1, the transformer being showndiagrammatically in Fig. 2. Connected with the transformer are the mainwires 7.

Upon each of the glass plates 3, save the top and bottom plates, is aconducting material 8, extending from one of the elec trodesapproximately two-thirds of the length of the plate in the direction ofthe opposite electrode. These conductors, which are preferably made ofcopper gauze and preferably with one edge 8 (acting as a dischargingedge) turned up. at right' an nected to the electrode opposite that to 1which the one underneath is connected and" so on. The conductors,however, may be constructed of tin-foil, as shown in Fig. 5, or of othersuitable material. Surround ing the electrodes 4 and 5 is an insulatingmaterial, preferably of rubber, as at 9.

10 is a ring of rubber, or other insulating material, upon which the.glass plates rest.

11 are washers of rubber or other insulating material, interposedbetween the ends of the glass plates and surrounding the electrodes.

12 indicates the circuit between the transformer 6 and the electrodes 4:and 5.

13 indicates washers of rubber, or other insulating material.

1 1 is a metal washer, between which and the nut 15 the wires of thecircuit 12 are fastened by means of the thumb-screw 16, which latter isconstructed of insulating material, preferably of rubber.

17 indicates an electric fan juxtaposed to the glass plates so thattheatmosphere will be constantly circulated while the fan is in motionfrom the outside through the spaces between the glass plates 3.

It is important in arranging the conduc' tors that they should not beextended from their respective electrodes far enough to set upshort-circuiting with the opposite electrodes. It -is also important tohave the insulating plates of suchbreadth that the electricity of onepolarity will not readily creep around the edges of the plates and unitewith the electricity of the opposite polarity.

The thickness of the insulating plates, as well as the air-spacesbetween them, will be governed by the voltage of the current employed.Low voltage will require smaller air-spaces, and a thinner glass than ahlgh voltage. These elements can be readily adjusted, and shouldbearranged so that some electricity will find a passage from theconductors of one polarity to the conductors of opposite polaritythroughthe glass plates.

to prevent this, and to secure, instead, a subdued or bluish fluorescentsparking or discharge. I prefer to use glass plates approximatelyone-twentieth of an inch in thickness, with one quarter of an inchair-space between them, current from the transformer of about 10,000volts.

It is a well known fact that to the state of strain of the atmospherepreceding an electrical discharge, as well as to the discharge itself,is due the production of ozone. It has alsobeen found that when aportion of the atmospheric oxygen has been changed to ozone, eachadditional discharge, besides producing more ozone, will tend to damage,if not totally destroy, some of that previously produced. Accordingly itis my object to avoid subjecting the atmosphere on its passagethrouglrthe condenser to more than one discharge, and to limit thelength of the path of the air through the field of electrostatic stress,so that the ozone, once produced, will be wafted away before it can bedamaged by furtherelectrostatic action. This I have provided for in amost effectual manner in the condenser constructed and arranged as aboveset forth, so as to form a plurality of relatively short, independentpassages in which the moving air is subjected to the electrostaticstress, and wherein the sparking is confined to an extremely narrowzone.

The operation of my, invention is as follows: The atmosphere is forcedby the electric fan 17 into the spaces between the glass lates, theelectric current from the transormer 6 enters the electrodes 4 and 5and.

passes over the conducting stri s on the glass plates 8. The charges 0opposite polarity on the adjacent conducting strips set up both in theglass and the intervening air, the characteristic stresses of theelectrostatic field, and the passage of the atmospheric oxygen throughthis field results in the production of ozone.

While I have shown and described one embodiment of my invention, I wishit to be understood that variation may be made in the form, proportionsand materials used in the construction of the apparatus and of the partscomposing the same, without departing from the spirit of the invention,or the scope thereof, as defined by the appended claims.

Breaking of the plates due to too high a "voltage, can easily beavoided. Should, however, any of the plates become damaged, other platescan be readily substituted by unfastening the thumb-screw 16 and lifting01f the plates.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is: i 1. In a device ofthe character described,

the combination of relatively narrow posi-' tive and negativeconductors, a dielectric inand to have an alternating terp'osed betweeneach positive and negative conductor, means for forcing air across thedielectric from side to side, said conductors being arrangedtransversely across the air current, whereby the air is subjected to butone electrostatic action.

2. In a device of the class described, the

combination of a plurality of relatively narrow positive and negativeconductors, a plurality of dielectrics interposedone between each twoadjacent conductors, said dielectrics and conductors being spaced apartto form a plurality of independent air passages, means for forcing acurrent of air transversely across said conductors, and means forsupplying an electric current to said conductors. 3. In a device of theclass described, the combination of a plurality of relatively narrowpositive and negative conductors, a plurality of dielectrics interposedone between each two adjoining conductors, said dielectrics andconductors being spaced apart to form a plurality of independent airpassages, means for forcing a currentof air transversely across saidconductors, and means for supplying an electric current to saidconductors, whereby the air in passing through said air passages issubjected to but one electrostatic action. 4.. In a device of the classdescribed, a condenser having in combination a plurality of relativelynarrow positive and negative conductors, a plurality of dielectricsinterposed one between each two adjacent conductors,

means for supplying an electric current to said conductors, whereby theair passing therethrough is subjected to but one silent discharge.

5. In a device of the class described, a condenser having in combinationa plurality of relatively narrow positive and negative conductors, aplurality of solid dielectrics interposed one between each two adjacentconductors, said dielectrics and conductors being spaced apart to form aplurality of independent air passages, means for supplying an electriccurrent to said conductors, anc means for forcing air through the spacesbetween the dielectric plates from one side thereof to the other,whereby the air will cross said conductors transversely and is subjectedto but one electrostatic action.

6. In apparatus for producing ozone, the combination of a condenser,comprising positive and negative terminals, a series of relativelynarrow conductors extending from the positive terminal, a series ofrelatively narrow coi ductors extending from the negative terminalbetween the positive conductors in alternate relation therewith, and aseries of dielectric plates arranged one between each two adjacentconductors, said plates being separated to provide air spacestherebetween,:-

and means for supplying electricity to the condenser terminals to chargethe condenser. 7. In apparatus for producing ozone, the combination of acondenser comprising positive and negative terminals, a series ofrelatively narrow conductors extending from the positive terminal, aseries of relatively narrow conductors extending from the negativeterminal between the positive conductors in alternate relationtherewith, and a series of dielectric plates arranged one between eachtwo adjacent conductors, said plates being separated to provide airspaces therebetween, means for supplying electricit to the condenserterminals to charge t1e condenser, and means for forcing air through thespaces between the dielectric plates and transversely across the saidconductors.

- 8. In apparatus for producing ozone, the combination of a condensercomprising positive and negative terminals, a series of relativelynarrow conductors extending from the positive terminal, a series ofrelatively narrow conductors extending from the negative terminalbetween the positive conductors in alternaterelation therewith, a seriesof dielectric plates arranged one between each two adjacent conductors,said plates being separated to provide air spaces therebetween, meansfor supplying high tension alternating electric current to the condenserterminals tov charge the condenser, and means for forcing air throughthe 'air spaces transversely across said conductors.

9. In a device of the character described, the'combinationof relativelynarrow positive and negative conductors, a dielectric interposed betweeneach positive and negative conductor, said dielectric having suflicientresistance to secure a silent discharge between said conductors, meansfor forcing air across the dielectric from side to side, said conductorsbeing arranged transversely across the air current, whereby the air issubjected to but one silent discharge.

10. In a device of the class described, the combination of a pluralityof relatively narrow positive and negative conductors, a plurality ofdielectrics interposed one between each two adjacent conductors, saiddielectrics and-conductors being spaced apart to form a plurality ofindependent air passages, said dielectrics having sufiicient resistanceto se' cure a single silent discharge in each of said Y said conductors;

CHARLES e. ARMSTRONG.

Witnesses:

JOHN K. MACDONALD, SARAH SEINLEAR.

